The young men, initially referred to as Suspect 1 and Suspect 2, one in a black hat and one in a white hat, were caught on cameras toting backpacks among the people near the marathon finish line, and walking away without one of the backpacks. The FBI asked the public to help identify the suspected killers. That was Thursday evening. By Friday morning, the bad movie element had run right off the rails. The suspects had been identified and were on the run.

Boston residents were told to stay home and lock their doors. Businesses remained shuttered. The city’s educational icons — Harvard, MIT and the University of Massachusetts — canceled classes and told students to hunker down. The Red Sox stayed home. The Bruins didn’t play. And while Boston was in shut-down mode, the suspects went on an all-night spree. They robbed a convenience store Thursday night, then shot and killed a police officer who responded. They hijacked a car and led police on a chase through Boston streets. As they drove, they tossed explosives from the car. In an exchange of gunfire, Suspect 1 was shot, and later died. It was said he was wearing a suicide vest.

Suspect 2 took off in the stolen car, running over Suspect 1 as he fled. All day Friday, hour to hour, door to door, law enforcement officers moved in on Suspect 2. By Friday evening, hundreds and hundreds of men and women from every law enforcement agency, including the FBI, local and federal bomb squads, Boston police, sniper units, computer squads and canine teams, inched ever closer to the suspect, who was found hiding in a boat in a Watertown driveway. Anyone who tuned in to the news for the first time on Friday couldn’t possibly believe this was unfolding in Boston; it looked like a fantasy out of a violent video game.